Morning journal and courier., 1887-06-07
C0RRESPONDENGE.


 of the French ArtIsts-The Prizes.
 H PARIS, May 20. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 This letter contains deal of useful and interesting information. What is Le Salon (angliee-Y Yankeece slong) and how does it functurea
 The annual exhibition of works of art by French and foreign artists, held every spring in Paris, is called ''Le Salon. because it used to be held in the large Salon-Salon Canes-of the Louvre. That is the way the exhibition acquired a name which has ad- hered to it. It is now held in a huge build ing of iron and glass on the Champs Elysees, built, in imitation of the Crystal Palace of London, for the French International exhibi- tion of 1885. It is eight hundred and twen- ty feet long and three hundred and 6fty-four feet wide. So you can calculate how 1t might fit into the Green. Up stairs there are quantities of rooms all around. Down stairs space going up to the roof, which is over hundred feet from the ground. The paintings, drawings, engravings, &c., are hung in the rooms and galleries. The sculp- ture is all down stairs. This year there are five thousand three hundred and eighteen works of art of all kinds exhibited-two
 thousand five hundred and twenty y-one paint ings, one thousand and forty-one drawings
 water colors, &Ic., Slc., one thousand and forty-five pieces of sculpture, one hundred and sighty-two architectural studies, and the rest of the grand total is made up in engra- wings, seals, stamps, medals, &c., &c. To see the whole thing thoroughly and conscien- tiously is beyond the power of any single individual. He may get a general idea of the whole or he may master any one minor part.
 Now then, how is it run? It is understood that the building and all it's appurtenances are government property. Before 1883 the exhibitions were managed by the State through the minister of the fine arts. The important work of the Salon is selecting, placing and recompensing. Before 1883 ar lists were allowed to participate in the ap- pointment of the juries who performed this work; but only to participate. The State al l ways reserved a certain amount of power in | the matter and generally exercised it. The ! result was that every year there was discon- | tent, insinuations of partiality and accusa- ! tiens made more or less directly and openly | against public officials. In 1883 the govern nlent, tired of such annually reiterated bick- ! ering and fault-fnding, said substantially te | the artists: "Here, take it; run it your | selves. We will give you tho free use of the | buildings; but that is all. If you lose mon ! ey it is your own lookout. Henceforth for ! ever we wash our hands of the whole mat | ter" The artists immediately got together S and formed what is known as the "Societe | des Artistes Francais." The society was \ recognized by the government, and by de ment of the exhibition was passed over to its l control. The constitution and bylaws ot ! the society are simple. Any French artist | who has exhibited at the ''Salon" is entitled | to membership, and as long as he pays his | twelve francs year he remains a member ir good standing. Every three years there is | elected standing committee of ninety, con \ sisting of fifty painters, twenty sculptors ! ten architects and ten other fellows, engra ! vers, &zc. It will be seen that the lay ele nent is entirely excluded. In the adjudica- | tion of rewards French artists will not tole ! rate the participation of the learned and | trained criticism of Taine or Louis Blanc ! (And in the writer's opinion that is quite enough of itself to account for the decadence of the Salon) This general committee elects | its officers and appoints each year sub-com mittee of twenty-six, who in fact regulate everything and constitute the supreme pow CT. As to the juries, they are selected by vote. Each member of the society has s vote in the section to which he belongs. Il ! an artist be a sculptor as well as painter he can vote in both sections. One and the same jury in each section admits the work of art ''hangs" it and rewards it. There is no di vision of labor; none of the former multi plicity of juries. To give detail, the jury of painting this year is composed of forty ! members. They were voted for on the 18th of March. Lefebevre came out ahead with one thousand four hundred and thirty-six l votes, and Dagnan Bonvuet was lost with five hundred and thirty votes. When elect ed they go ahead at once, but in all the realm of French activities there is nothing more solemn or more awfully secret than the do- ings of Salon jury from the time it com mences operations to the time of the open ing. Woe betide the member who lets out any secret! Woe betide the outsider who ] presents the tip of his nose within the sacred enclosure of their activities. Only limited number of works can be accepted, and ordi- narily at least twice as many are presented. For instance, but two thousand five hundred pictures can be accepted, and this year over six thousand were presented. The catalogue gives two thousand five hundred and twenty one pictures; and therein is small wrinkle, for according to the bylaws all pictures hay ing an equal number of votes for the last place must be accepted. After two thousand four hundred and ninety-nine have been se- 1eeted every picture having an equal number of votes for the last number must be accept ed. And the same rules govern in the other sections.
 As to the prizes. There are first. second and third-class medals, and what are called l mention honorables" or honorable men tions. In the adjudication of medals there is, in my opinion, great defect; for accord ing to the rules, when an artist has taken @ second class medal he becomes stHors con- cours," as it is called; that is outside of con- petition. He can compete no more. Such a rule is absurd. In the natural order of things 8 man would take a second-class medal before taking frst-olass one; and yet as soon as he has taken a second he can compete no longer; he can never take first. That is the reason why in the list of medals decreed you so rarely see that 8 first has been awarded. You may talk till tists on this point, but they won't listen. To reach the point of having 'FH. O." on their works is their great aim; and they won't see how illogically inconsistent with their theory of medals is their method of getting there. How much better it would be that: When an artist has taken 8 third he can take no moro thirds; when he has taken a second he can take no more seconds; and that not till he has taken 8 frst or perhaps two or three frsts, can he have pasted on his works the glorious let tering 'tH. O." If prize system be adopt ed it must be regulated in accordance with common sense and carried through to log ical issue. The trouble with French ar lists, as with American artists, is that very few if any of them have had Yale edu- cation. The metallic d'honneur is another thing. That is complimentary medal
 voted every year to some one artist. Not necessarily because he happens to have the finest thing exhibited, but because his life and his works entitle him to the honor. Lefebvre got it last year. There is no tell ing yet who will get it this year. In ad- dition there things like scholarships and travelling funds given to deserving youngs- ters. Now that you understand the S'long
 we will go inside and look at few of it's contents. REMAINDER.
 Mir Hotchkiss starts this morning for Madison
 Wis, to attend the annual convention of commis. sioners of labor statistics which is most nstruc- tive meeting During his absence his office will he